March is the perfect time to refresh your landscape with hardy shrubs and trees. In a few weeks perennials and summer blooms will arrive at local nurseries to bring a pop of color too. The selections are so diverse, it can be overwhelming. Here are three simple tips to keep in mind to make your yard the envy of your neighbors.

Groups of plants of varying sizes always compliment each other. We did a Garden Guide last year about how choosing plants with the rules of three in mind (a thriller, a spiller, and a filler”) can bring a lush look to any container garden. The same concept can be used for landscaping too. Just make sure to give them plenty of space. Landscape plants should be given the proper spacing to mature over the years.

Some gardeners shy away from some really spectacular perennials because they disappear for a few months each year. The solution is to compliment those perennials with plants that provide winter interest. For example, boxwoods look great behind hosta, or place boxwoods in front of your hardy Hibiscus. Hydrangea have bare stems all winter, but their dried blooms bring winter interest and structure to a garden bed. Some plants have incredibly interesting stems like PaperWhite Birch and Yellow/Red-twig dogwoods. These feature plants bring structure to the garden.

Ken Muellers - Senior Landscape Designer at Hicks Nurseries in Westbury, recommends pairing plants with lacy leaf foliage among plants with broad leaves. Ferns and hosta go great together! Flowers don’t last as long as foliage. This tip will bring a stunning look to your landscape much longer than any flowering season will.